This unique musical instrument was developed so that musicians could create their own music. The idea of designing a new instrument is to open a window into a whole new territory, and drift off the beaten path.

The toha and any of the other instruments in the Pangeia Instrumentos range is for the intrepid explorer. It's built with a carbon fiber bottom resonator 56 cm (22 inch) in diameter and a gourd as the top resonator. It's central column is made of laminated mahogany and measures a total height of 148 cm (58 inch).

The white bridges of the toha attract peoples curiosity and invariably this is the question that pops up at shows or exhibitions. The bridges are 3D printed in a hard resistant nylon type of material. They are kept in place by tension. At the base of the carbon fiber resonator there is a thick, heavy aluminum plate where the strings attach to, giving the instrument a low center of gravity. The total weight in a carrying case is 26 Kg (57.3 lbs).

PLAYING THE TOHA

When played by two musicians they use both hands on each of their individual set of strings. Watch Victor Gama and Salomé Pais Matos performing Rio Cubango on a toha at the Royal Concertgebow in Amsterdam, in 2011. While Salomé is using the classical harp technique, she is a professional harpist, Victor is using his nails as he also plays the acrux and other instruments that require nails.

There are two sets of 21 strings around the central column of the toha tuned in this way.

But the toha is supplyed with a tuning fork and anyone can try their own tuning. From A0 to E2 the strings are multifilament nylgut core metal wound and from F2# to G3 the strings are nylon monofilament.

WORLD'S GREATEST

MUSICIANS PLAY TOHA

Unique projects and collaborations over the last two decades have driven the development of these fascinating instruments and music. A five year long collaboration with Kronos Quartet had its world premiere at Carnegie Hall in New York and its European premiere at Centro Cultural de Belém in Lisbon in 2010.